Definition

1. Verb:
   • To decide or establish something in advance: To determine, settle, or direct something before it happens or before all the facts are known.
   • To influence or bias a person or outcome beforehand: To cause someone to have a particular opinion or to cause a situation to have a particular result before it occurs.

Usage and Examples

• Verb:
  • The rules of the competition predetermine the winner. (The rules establish who will win before the competition even starts.)
  • We cannot predetermine the outcome of the negotiations. (We cannot decide or fix the result of the negotiations in advance.)
  • His strong religious beliefs may predetermine his views on the issue. (His existing beliefs influence his opinion on this matter before he fully considers it.)

Advanced Usage

• Predetermined (Adjective): Decided or arranged in advance.
  • The meeting followed a predetermined agenda. (The meeting followed an agenda that was set beforehand.)
• Predetermination (Noun): The action of predetermining something; the belief that all events are decided in advance by a divine power or fate.
  • The theory challenges the idea of predetermination. (The theory questions the concept that everything is fixed beforehand.)

Variants and Related Words

• Predestine: To decide or determine the fate of someone or something in advance, often by a divine power. (More specific to fate or destiny).
• Preordain: To decide or determine (an outcome) beforehand, especially by a supernatural power.
• Prearrange: To arrange or plan something before it happens. (Less forceful than , often used for meetings or events).

Synonyms

• Predecide: To decide beforehand.
• Foreshadow: To be a warning or indication of a future event. (Different nuance: suggests a sign, not a direct cause).
• Bias: To cause to feel or show inclination or prejudice for or against someone or something. (Can be a result of predetermination).

Related Phrases and Usage Notes

• Usage Note: "Predetermine" often implies a stronger, more causal, or more formal influence than simply planning. It suggests that the outcome is fixed or heavily influenced before the process begins. It is commonly used in contexts involving rules, fate, beliefs, or scientific experiments to avoid bias.

Verb

1. cause to be biased
2. determine beforehand